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The Vancouver, Wash., City Council has unanimously decided to create a local improvement district and allow more than 400 homeowners to pay for safety upgrades that will establish quiet zones along a railroad crossing. The project, estimated to cost $818,000, will bring the crossing into compliance with Federal Railway Administration guidelines on quiet zones.

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Fifth-graders from a Vancouver, Wash., elementary school recently painted a nature-themed mural on a storage building to discourage vandalism. Students researched how other cities addressed graffiti and learned that murals are tagged less often by vandals. The students also talked with officials about public policies, including an anti-graffiti ordinance being considered this month by the Vancouver City Council.

Crews began pre-construction testing work on the $3.5 billion Columbia River Crossing project between Portland, Ore., and Vancouver, Wash. Work includes evaluation of soil, construction techniques and bridge supports to determine the best bridge design. Workers will be drilling shafts and driving piles at on-land locations on the Oregon side.

Officials planning a new Columbia River Crossing are mired in discussions about toll rates, cost estimates and how many lanes the bridge will have. Pegged as a $4 billion project, the crossing would supplant two three-lane drawbridges and is part of other infrastructure improvements. "If we don't have a record of decision before the [legislative] session starts, we could very easily miss an opportunity for funding of the project," said Don Wagner, co-director of the crossing office in Vancouver, Wash.

Officials planning a new Columbia River Crossing are mired in discussions about toll rates, cost estimates and how many lanes the bridge will have. Pegged as a $4 billion project, the crossing would supplant two three-lane drawbridges and is part of other infrastructure improvements. "If we don't have a record of decision before the [legislative] session starts, we could very easily miss an opportunity for funding of the project," said Don Wagner, co-director of the crossing office in Vancouver, Wash.

Experts at a City Council panel discussion in Vancouver, Wash., debated the pros and cons of a plastic-bag fee or tax. The experts were split on the issue, and many citizens speaking at the meeting expressed concern that a fee might not do enough to reduce waste.